What does it mean to be a Christian? In today’s world, as well as yesterday’s, it can mean that you will most certainly be persecuted simply for having faith in the one whom created you. Today, Christianity gets washed in the swampy waters of politics, soiled by endless opinion and over-dissecting, slapped with a label of every “phobe” possible to those whom proclaim their faith, and rinse and repeat. But it hasn’t always been this way. At one time, there was untold power in the word of God. That power never stopped, we stopped having faith in it. People feared the God who would soon return in the flesh to both judge and redeem. Now, Christianity is solely ascribed to whatever political party supports its values, and totally discarded by the rest. Corruption has sunk its teeth so deep into the flesh of us all, that anything condemning a corrupt way of life, is virtually intolerable. And yet, we’re all living in corruption.

Here’s what I do know about the Bible though — It is a living, breathing mechanism for whatever ails you. It will turn in your soul, night after night when there’s something you need to understand better. It will beckon to your spirit when it’s barren, thirsty and needing nourishment. In times of trial, simply speaking the Word to your mountains can cause them to crumble before you. Not because it’s magical, but because it’s ALIVE! And why is it alive? Because Jesus is the Word and He is alive! Though he died on the cross, carrying the weight of the entire world’s sins, though his body was beaten, broken and torn – The same redeeming blood which flowed down that wooden cross was alive then, rose to live again three days later and is still alive today!

When Jesus shed his blood for us, he could have come down from that cross instead. He could have stopped his unjustifiable punishment, but then where would we be? It was because of his LIVING sacrifice that we are granted eternal life for those who accept and believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, to become the blood atonement for our sins.

In biblical times they used to bring in a living sacrifice and then the high priest would enter the holy of holies to intercede on behalf of us, to God the Father. But when Jesus died, he not only became the blood sacrifice but he also became the high priest, interceding on our behalf to the Father day and night! Because Jesus died on the cross for us, because he was raised from the dead three days later, because he lives seated at the right hand of the Father until his time to return and re-claim his kingdom — He remains to be the living sacrifice that sheds its blood for the atonement of our sins.

Now, let’s take a look at how the scripture explains Jesus, from the beginning…

John Chapter 1:1-5 says:“In the beginning was the Word.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

And John 1:10-14 & 16 says:“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.
He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn — not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
14. So the Word became human and made his home among us.
He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.
And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
16. From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.
For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ…”

What other book can bring you to your knees in conviction, and in the same breath cover you with such grace and love that it can read like a sonnet to your heart? When all else seems dire and we’re under attack — The very utterance of the Word, in faith, not only brings an inconceivable peace to our hearts, but also a boundless courage and strength that can only come from our Father in Heaven. That to me says that this book is not just a blueprint of past, present and future – It is alive because Jesus is alive and he is the Word of God!

Okay, so maybe you don’t really believe in the Bible as being God’s prophetic word, well let’s search a book found alongside the dead sea scrolls with the book of Genesis, but was kept out of the Canonical scriptures — the Book of Enoch!
Enoch was referred to in the Bible so we can confirm that he existed as both he and his lineage were referred to in Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Hebrews, Jude and in the book of Enoch!

Hebrews 11:5-6 says:“It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

Here’s a little background on Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared and the seventh generation from Adam. In his prophetic writings, he describes being shown the secrets of creation, the future of humanity as well as the great flood that was to come in the time of Noah. He was also shown the roles, placement and purposes of the luminaries, the different levels of heaven and of hell, the mystery of the clouds, rain, winds, seasons, etc., and the fall of the 200+ angels who abandoned their station and sinned against God, by corrupting the daughters of men on earth. Now before you start going on about how if it isn’t in your Bible it must not be valid, let’s see what Enoch says about future books that would come after his, for us!

Enoch 104:10 says:“Another mystery also I point out. To the righteous and the wise shall be given books of joy, of integrity, and of great wisdom. To them shall books be given, in which they shall believe; 11. And in which they shall rejoice. And all the righteous shall be rewarded, who from these shall acquire the knowledge of every upright path.”

Now let’s take a quick look at how the Angel describes Jesus, The Son of Man’s existence, to Enoch….

The Book of Enoch 48:2-3, 5-6:“And at that hour that Son of Man was called near the Lord of the spirits, and his name before the Head of Days. 3. And before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of heaven were made, his name was called before the Lord of the spirits. For this purpose he was chosen and hidden before him before the world was created, and he will be before him to eternity.”

Enoch 61:10 :“Then shall the kings, the princes, and all who possess the earth, glorify him who has dominion over all things, him who was concealed; For from the beginning the Son of man existed in secret, whom the Most High preserved in the presence of his power, and revealed to the elect.”

Pretty amazing, eh?! So now we know that Jesus is the Word, and was in existence with God the Father from the beginning! We also know that there are books directly correlating with The Book of Enoch (such as the books of the apostles, the Bible, etc.) which were also written for our edification in Christ Jesus, and foretold through the prophecy given to Enoch! The scriptures both in and outside of our Canonical Bible tells us that Jesus is in fact the Son of Man, that he is the Word, and that he existed with the Father before creation existed!

Now let’s look at the power of the name, Jesus.

Enoch 46:1-4 :“…And I asked one of the angels, who went with me, and who showed me all the secrets, concerning this son of man, who he was and whence he was, and why he goes with the Head of days? 3. And he answered and said to me:’ “This is the Son of Man, who has justice, and justice dwells with him, and all the treasures of secrecy he reveals, because the Lord of the spirits has chosen him, and his portion overcomes all things before the Lord of the spirits in rectitude to eternity.”

Enoch 48:3-4 says:“..A support shall he be for the righteous and the holy to lean upon, without falling; and he shall be the light of nations. 4. He shall be the hope of those whose hearts are troubled. All, who dwell on earth, shall fall down and worship before him; shall bless and glorify him, and sing praises to the name of the Lord of spirits.”

And Enoch 69:1-2 says:“After this the name of the Son of man, living with the Lord of spirits, was exalted by the inhabitants of the earth. 2. It was exalted in the chariots of the Spirit; and the name went forth in the midst of them.”

So here we know that Enoch did not know who Jesus was because, One – Enoch had to ask the angel who he was and where he came from — Two, Jesus had not come to the earth yet, and Three – Enoch didn’t know his name! So check out later in this same scripture:

Enoch 69:26 says:“And there was great joy among them, and they blessed and honored and exalted, because the name of the Son of Man had been revealed unto them.
27. And he sat upon the throne of his glory, and the sum of the judgment was given to him, the Son of Man, and he causes to disappear and to be destroyed the sinners from the face of the earth, and also those who have led astray the earth.”

Enoch 63:11 says:“In his presence shall they fall, and not be raised up again; nor shall there be any one to take them out of his hands, and to lift them up: for they have denied the Lord of spirits, and his Messiah. The name of the Lord of spirits shall be blessed.”

Now let’s see what the Bible has to say about the name of Jesus…

Philippians 2:10 –“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Romans 10:9 –“For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

1 John 5:20“And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.”

Colossians 3:15-17:“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Romans 6:23:“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

John 3:16 –“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Colossians 1:15-20:“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see — such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.
He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”

Let’s stop there. When I think on it, I can see how God created us to be faithful to Him. We were precious and pure of heart. We were later corrupted by sin and no longer blameless — Hiding ourselves away from God in the shame of our corruption and in the effort to stay away from conviction and punishment. So God became flesh, to carry that sin to death and lay it down at the cross. To shed his righteous blood to redeem us. So that we could once again be blameless in His eyes through the belief in his Son, Jesus Christ, Yeshua.

How much he loved us to make himself flesh, take up our cross of shame and the heavy burden of sin – To lay his life down so that we could have eternal life in Heaven, through our Messiah, Jesus. He knew we needed a savior, he knew we couldn’t possibly be perfect, because of sin. So he gave himself, who is without sin, to free us from its death. The kind of unfailing love it takes to not only be loyal to someone who repeatedly rejects you, but then to lay your life down in order for that person(s) to escape death’s snare, and live eternally in heaven, is the ultimate sacrifice of anyone who loves another. I don’t know how many friends you have that would lay their lives down for you, when push comes to shove – But I do know that kind of love is nearly impossible to find. And yet, Jesus came to show us what true love looks like, to save us not only from sin, but from ourselves. To save not only the ones alive at that time, but all who live.

I’ve grown up in church my whole life, and as a teenager I was on fire for God. You couldn’t convince me back then that Christianity was a joke, that Jesus was just a regular guy, or that God didn’t exist. And then at 18 years old my son was born, and 2 years and 8 months later he died in my arms. Before my son was ever born I was given his name, Israel, and a scripture (Genesis 32:28) in the Bible as to why this was to be his name. This is what it says, “And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

What’s even crazier is that I had already settled on the name Jacob for my son, when I was given that word. For nearly three years I prayed daily for the life of my son, and when he died, I lost my faith. It wasn’t until recently where I, in a stark moment of clarity, finally understood that this carnal, passing life is not the reward. My perspective had been skewed by my grief. I walked away from what my spirit knew was real, because I felt like a fraud inside proclaiming something I didn’t quite understand anymore And I stayed gone for years! I fought that internal knowing of God’s existence, tooth and nail. I thought I had figured it all out — How quickly God showed me that I knew nothing.

A few months ago, I was under constant spiritual attack day and night, and even physically attacked by something not of this world. I thought because I was picking up where I left off in my prior walk with God as a teenager, that I was safe. I felt sure inside that I could die without worry of what was ahead for me. I had found forgiveness in my heart in regards to my son and my faith, but I hadn’t repented to God for the YEARS spent denying Him and was really struggling to forgive. I came back to the fold as if nothing had ever happened.

I was having visions every day and didn’t understand why — while I was away from God and living fully immersed in my sin — that God was still allowing me to see things, which only He could show me. And as I saw the good, I also saw the bad. I knew that my spiritual problem needed a spiritual solution, but I had forgotten how to attain it. I cried out to God to either let me leave this world or show me how to forgive, completely. When I heard such a still, peaceful voice say: “Judas betrayed Jesus and delivered him to his enemy for 30 pieces of silver and he still went to the cross and upon it asked God to forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

I realized right then and there that this whole time, years of me having turned my back on God because I couldn’t find my faith again — Was my own betrayal to Jesus. Here I was asking him to show me how to forgive and HE was the one who I needed forgiveness from! Even still, he spoke to me in such a loving way as to correct me. He made it so simple for me to understand. Judas was in Jesus’s inner circle. He was like a brother to Jesus and as such, Jesus trusted him. Jesus had just told the disciples that one of them would betray him, which they all scoffed at in disbelief. And yet Peter denied Jesus three times as Jesus was being sentenced to his death. Judas knew these people wanted him dead and instead of protecting Jesus, Judas sold him out – And Jesus forgave him! And this voice said to me, “If I can forgive those who have denied and betrayed me, without bitterness, and lay my life down for them, you can forgive and you can be free.”

Right then, tears that felt like a river came rushing from my eyes and as I asked God to forgive me of my sins, help me back on this path to him, and show me how to truly forgive – I felt all of the bitterness, unforgiveness and pain that I had been trying FOR YEARS to get rid of on my own, wash away from me in those tears. I have been convicted daily and brought to rememberance of his sacrifice for me, ever since. And it has changed my life, from the inside out. I can honestly say now that in all my life I have never once been as convicted in my spirit, as I was that day and still am today!

I was the doubting Thomas that the Bible speaks of, the complaining Job before he was brought to rememberance of God’s blessings. In the short life of my son, so many people gave their lives to Jesus, while praying for this one little boy to be healed. I didn’t know most of the people who were at the funeral to pay respects. But each one as they came to give condolences told me of how much their lives were changed just by praying for the healing of Israel, my Israel. He struggled with God and with man and he prevailed, because he is eternally living in Heaven, and I am here on earth trying to work through things that ultimately do not matter.

If there was ever any doubt in your mind let me settle it — Jesus came to this earth for you. If it were only you on this planet, he would have come and he still would have died, to save you. He spoke the truth in the midst of lies and liars, against all the odds, and in the hopes that you would hear it. He took the bloody beating, the lashes of catnine tails, which ripped his flesh from his body with each strike, for you. And as he carried that giant wooden cross, struggling to stay upright as he was paraded in front of the world to be made a mockery of, and as the nine inch nails drove into his hands and feet, he did it all for you. As he pleaded with his father to forgive us all — His cleansing, purifying, redeeming blood flowed to absolve us. With every pain he endured, he did it with us on his mind and in his heart. He was wounded for our trangressions, bruised for iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed.

By all accounts, I do not deserve his love, his loyalty, his faithfullness or his mercy. I’ve done nothing to receive his grace except for accepting him in my life and in my heart. I try everyday now to overcome, to be something that God can look at and see himself in. That’s why he created us in His own image, to see himself in us. Every day I fail, in one form or another, but God’s grace is sufficient. He didn’t call me to be perfect, he called me to be His and He would in-turn make me perfect in his sight. As in too many instances in the Bible to name – In order to receive something from God, you must first be willing to give something. He lived by this rule himself, by becoming flesh and dying on the cross as a ransom for our souls. When I came back to God, there was a sacrifice for me to make in order to receive Him. That sacrifice was me. My thoughts, my opinions, my ideals, my pain, my resentment, my past traumas, my unforgiveness. I had to be willing to lay it all down at the cross in order to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, my Savior. And that was such a small price to pay in comparison.

As long as we live in this world we will be surrounded by sin, and we will fall — But by the blood of the Redeemer, we are made whole. That is what Christianity is about. It will never be about politics. It will never be about religion. It will never be about being prideful, boastful, pompous or holier than thou — None of that. It is about the redeeming blood that flowed in order to make us new. The blood of Jesus that is still alive and purifying our spirits every single day. No one on earth is above the blood of Jesus. No one is too good to receive it or need it. No prophet, no priest, none of us. It is about the ultimate sacrifice from a tried and true friend who only asks that we believe in him, and give him our sin and shame in return.

I spoke the name of Jesus, when I was being physically attacked by this supernatural darkness and it stopped immediately. I spoke the blood of Jesus to my depression and it left me. Years of suffering, gone. I spoke the Word of God to my troubles and they made themselves right. Because he whom the Son sets free, is free indeed!

I have no slave master, I have a King of Kings. My soul has no expiration date, because God’s Holy Spirit resides in it like rivers of Living Water. I don’t believe in God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit because I am afraid, God says, “I have not given you a spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind.” I don’t have faith because someone tells me to, I have faith because I know what I once was, and what God says I am now. Because God says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I don’t believe because I grew up in church — That alone wasn’t enough to keep me there. I believe because there is a truth living inside of me that this world cannot match, can’t give me an answer to, can’t perscribe a pill for, can’t reason away and cannot contain. I believe because my spirit knows from where it came and where it will one day return. I am only a shell, an empty vessel filled with the same breath of life that spoke all of creation into existence. I am a child of the King, I am my Father’s and He is mine. And where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty! Amen!

Thank you, Yeshua, for your sacrifice. Thank you for giving me the words to say, I pray that it will touch the minds and hearts of whoever you send to this site. Thank you for redeeming me in your blood that was shed, for trading my rags for garments of praise. Thank you for renewing my mind, spirit and heart as I ask that you do the same for every one out there who’s searching for an answer, in the midst of this world which offers no solutions. Thank you for your healing, and the suffering you had to endure so that we could receive it by your Word. I praise you, Jesus for speaking life into these dead bones and calling them forth as you have. Thank you for loving us enough not to walk away, even when we left you. I pray you bless every single person who reads this, whether they know you or not — Reveal yourself to them just as you did for me and mine. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Be blessed today, and everyday!

Elizabeth Ann

I am a writer of novels, poetry, essays and blogs and more importanly a proud mama of two and wife to one! Not so domestic, "goddess" writing about life's crazy experiences, loss and grief, lessons learned therein, as well as the never-ending roller coaster that is parenthood.